Day 44. 2012.

Embarking on this journey of project life has taught me a lot about the kind of person I am, and the kind of person I strive to become each and every day.

Certain aspects of my life have always remained at the top and they are of utmost importance to me... family, faith, friends, education, service.

But there is one certain aspect that seems to come and go, and falters from time to time and that is....

My health.

I used to consider it a huge part of my life and then somewhere amidst changing diapers and screaming babies and a life that seemed to get increasingly busier and busier, I let it fall by the wayside.

I caught myself always thinking that tomorrow would be better, and I would get back on the bandwagon and eat better and exercise more.

Well, those tomorrow's keep passing me by and are blending together to become my life.

And then, these past few weeks, I have had a breakthrough.

I realize that TODAY is the day that I will start living the life I was born to LIVE.

To truly be happy with me, myself, and I once and for all!

I am not focusing so much on weight loss (although it would be NICE to beat my sister at the little 'bet' we have going right now!), but on transforming the way I think, act, and live each and every day.

One day at a time has never meant so much to me as it does now.

Afterall, what doesn't kill you makes you STRONGER, right?



And I realize that the quote I posted above says that I am not trying to impress you...

but I can't help but post this photo...

I am so proud to have made it 4 miles...it's been a LONG time since I saw that number!

 

Day 43. 2012.

If there is something that I am extremely passionate about and that I seem to talk about an awful lot, it is educating my kids.

I am a mom first and foremost, but as a mom I feel that it is important that I be my children's first teacher.

From those first moments of reading to my growing belly, to trying to find math problems that stump my seven year old (which can be quite the challenge with my math minded kid, I have to say!), I am always 'teaching'.

Most of the time I don't even realize that I am doing it, I am just playing and having fun with them(or trying to get them out of my hair).

And sometimes, they surprise me by revealing just how much they know, especially when it's a subject that I don't feel like I have worked with them much on.

Tyson doesn't like to show us how smart he is, in fact, when we ask him to count he will often start by saying, 1, 2, 7, 8, 13 (with a sly smile on his face...he knows he isn't doing it right).

So, when I got the math mat out for the older kids to play with, I didn't think that he would want to have anything to do with it.

When he asked for a turn and I set it up for him (to identify the numbers 1-10), I was extremely shocked that he knew a lot of them.

The way that he learned them was by playing with his Thomas choo-choo's.

He was associating the numbers with the engines they went with.

For instance, Thomas was 1, Percy was 6, and so on.



I smiled, it was such a GREAT moment!

I knew then that all of those hours spent playing with, and watching trains was paying off!

I wish, that as a teacher, I was able to discover what motivates each and everyone of my students to learn and then create individual plans and goals for each of them.

I think that I can do this to a certain extent, but I worry that there aren't enough hours in the day!

Tyson was able to learn his numbers and his colors simply by loving his trains and playing with them...not by us counting with him or showing him the numbers.

This time, I was the one who was the one getting the lesson.

I love it when my kids teach me a thing or two!

Day 41. 2012.

There are so many times that I say this, but after witnessing how fast my nephew's first year went, I will say it again....kids grow up WAY TOO FAST!

I mean, really...look at this post (just click on the word 'post' and you can see what I'm talking about!).

Hard to believe that this photo was taken just over a year ago!

I know that my kids are growing up extremely fast, but with this little man it is so much quicker! 

It seems that time is passing by in the blink of an eye!

Gosh, I love this kid! 

Happy Birthday little man!

He wasn't quite sure what to think of this whole BIG cake thing until mom helped him out a bit... 'mmmm mmm...this is so good!' This next series of photos cracks me up, I mean had me laughing VERY LOUD! Just watch Angela's face! Priceless! And all I could think was, 'hehehe, so glad it's not me!' He stuck around to see the goods from a couple of gifts, but honestly, who has time sit still long enough to open gifts when there is so much to EXPLORE! He is such a little daredevil and LOVES all slides at the moment! All of the kids LOVED the slides! So fun! This one was pretty fun too! Love you little guy, I know that you had a FANTASTIC first birthday!

Day 40. 2012.

This weather has been so good for our family time!

The boys had a great play time on the porch tonight after we went for a bike ride...

I couldn't help but grab the camera...I absolutely love taking photos like this!

These are those moments that I will look back on and want to remember!

It all started with a race....

ready,

set,

GO!!!

(or in Tyson talk...ready, setty, GOOO FAST!) Someone didn't want his little brother to beat him! All of this racing led to a good ol' fashion round of rough housing! 'Come here Tanner, I WILL get you back!' This is the face they gave me when I said, 'BOYS!' in a mad tone with a HUGE smile plastered to my face (they knew I wasn't the least bit mad!)
'I wuff you Tanner' But I can still get you! My kids aren't so into 'posed' photos, can you tell? And this was the best I could get, an annoyed...'MOM!' face....lovely. Even the little guy doesn't like posing, even though he is the man of a million faces! And success! We are so {HAPPY} that spring is here!

Day 39. 2012.

Why do these kids of mine keep on growing up so fast?!

Travis taught them the basics about driving the lawn mower tonight, one of them took the experience pretty seriously and the other was full of pure excitement!

Can you tell which is which by looking at these photos?

Oh, and don't worry, this lesson wasn't intended to get them to drive the lawn mower and really mow the grass....well, not yet anyway!

They were just having a good time!

Day 38.2012.

Records were broken all around our great state today, as temperatures climbed into the 70's...yes, it can get that warm in Minnesota in mid-March!

Pretty unbelievable when we are just as warm or warmer than places in California and Florida!

These were some of my favorite shots of our outdoor time (which has been in abundance lately thanks to this spectacular weather!)

Somebody can't enough of the slide!

Day 37. 2012.

There are days when I wish with all my might that I had the power to stop time and savor every precious little second.

Today was one of those days.

It doesn't seem possible that it is only mid March with the beautiful weather we have been spoiled with this past week!

I think I have a smile that is constantly plastered to my face and will not be going away anytime soon!

The two littles (who are not so little anymore) and I took a walk after our big guys left for yet another basketball tournament game.


It was so calm and peaceful, with no wind, bugs, or smells of manure (which can sometimes make being outdoors at our house not quite so fun!).

Upon hearing a flock of birds overhead, Ty looked up to the skies and pointed up at them....a sure sign that spring is here! After our walk, there was no way that we could go inside so we decided to stay out and play. After seeing my girl having a blast practicing her cart- wheels, I decided to join in.

Although we did take some photos on timer of the two of us flipping and spinning in our cartwheels, I don't feel like posting them and embarrassing myself to that extent tonight!

I don't know why I thought it would be a great idea to take a photo of the two of us turning over in the air with our behinds facing the camera, but I did...and wow...those will never be seen on here!
I felt like a little girl again..it was soo fun!

I need to remember just how much fun it was tomorrow when I am squealing in pain from my aching body!